Going Red
A Case in Scarlet "Chug! Chug! Chug!" The crowd kept cheering, repeating those three words in almost a trance. They stared at the man in awe as he chugged from a keg, with no signs of strain. The man slammed the keg onto the bar floor and yelled in victory. "WOOOO!" The crowd cheered even louder than before, patting the man on the back. Money exchanged hands, bets having been won and lost. The man of the hour sat down in a chair, letting out a loud belch. He rubbed his mouth with his wrist before leaning back into his chair. A waitress approached him, sliding over a shot glass. "It's on the house, Johnny." Johnny smiled contagiously, before thanking the waitress. "Thanks Sally, you're a doll." he called out as he downed the shot glass, handing it over to her. She only giggled before walking off to take more orders. Johnny only chuckled. He had made a life for himself in Nevada, and life was amazing. Her nose curled at the stench of piss, beer, sweat, and shoddiness. This is where he was supposed to be? Such a repugnant place; a far cry from previous days. She had no doubt the guy would be drunk out of his mind if the establishment gave any indication. Once again, she thanked her foresight; casual clothes instead of Marine garb was a good move, especially with how crowded the bar was. She turned upon seeing money passed around, following the buzz of conversation to the "man of the hour". Watching him down a keg and a shot glass in rapid succession made her ill; yet, her attention sharpened as she caught his side profile. It was him: Baboon Johnny. Rosie started shouldering her way through the crowd in order to get closer, wanting to confirm before making any moves. Johnny had been laughing alongside some companions when he noticed the redhead. It wasn't difficult, her hair stood out like a devilish beacon in a crowd of mediocrity. She walked with an aura of confidence, he noticed. She clearly had a purpose for being here, and from the looks of it, she was here for him. Someone from his past? Johnny had expected for him to be found one day, but after 3 years of having not been found, he had let that doubt fizzle in the back of his mind. But now, it seemed as if he hadn't been paranoid. He hushed his compatriots, one of them noticing the direction he had been looking in. They all stood, prepping a chair for the approaching woman. "Alright boys," he called out loudly, the entire bar quieting. "Everyone scram, gimme some time with the tomato over here." he said, gesturing towards the redhead. Everyone obliged, they respected Johnny for whatever reason. And soon, it was just the pair remaining. "So," he began. "Do I know you?" Well, she was grateful for that at least. With their sudden departure, a good bit of the smell went with it. While tempted to take a seat on the available chair, the slick surface made her reconsider; ultimately, she stood. The woman waited a few more seconds as the last people left, before tacking on a few more for them to be out of earshot. "I wouldn't say you know me..at least, not directly. If we ever crossed paths it was likely by happy accident," Rosie started. "Tell me, what have you been up to? Surely you haven't been getting drunk every single day; I'd like to think a talented person like you wouldn't waste their skills." She was most likely someone from his past, which somewhat irked him. He would’ve rather him have stayed hidden for much longer, but there was no point in complaining about it now. “I get drunk when it’s a day for celebration, doll.” he responded, downing the last of his friends’ shots. “We’ve been doing well these past few weeks.” “Enough about that though.” he said. “You know of my past, I’m guessing? What do you want?” She leaned against the table, watching him as he seemingly calculated things. "What do I want? Well, it depends on how you conduct yourself. I could list some of your exploits, but I'd rather hear it from the source. So tell me, how have you been spending your days?" Johnny leaned back in his chair, swinging his legs up onto the table. "I've been busy. Drinking, tinkering, the works." he responded, looking at the redhead with intrigue. "Now, if this is about my RAFIKI armor, I ain't telling you fools at the World Government how to make it. That's my pride and joy, and I ain't giving it to you law-abiding nimrods." he stated, rubbing his nose with the side of his hand. "Drinking? Tinkering? The Works? Oh dear, such a fulfilling life you've led," she commented dryly. Her expression didn't deviate when he mentioned the WG by name, though her tone was mildly amused. "You believe I'm here on behalf of the World Government, cute. No, I'm simply curious as to why you defected," Rosie added. She made a mental note of the RAFIKI armor and the value the scientist attached to it. "Got bored." It was as simple as that. Johnny wanted things to do, and the World Government had always wanted to keep him in check. According to them, his intelligence was a threat on its own. "Listen, doll." he began. "The World Government and those fools aren't worth it. They'll keep ya chained up, you follow their command. You gotta live life a little, do as you please." Was it an answer she expected? Yes. Did it surprise her, albeit in an unpleasant manner? Yes. It was disappointing to hear considering how he was talked about. Of course, she knew why the WG would keep someone like him on a short leash; too unpredictable for their liking. Seemed it did them little good though. "I see. Is that all you saw the WG as? A cage?" Rosie continued. Johnny stared into her eyes. "That's all it is, a cage that wastes my time." he said. "Is that all you came here for? If so, you're quite the doll, but I think it's time you leave." "Fair enough," she started before pausing, "what is it with you and 'doll'? Surely you can think of something else to say." Her gaze narrowed at his dismissal. "I leave when I'm good and ready to, Baboon Johnny." Johnny clapped his hands together. "Thats right, I still don't know your name." he began. "And you're getting sick of me callin' you 'doll', so I'm all ears." "Now why should I tell you that? We aren't friends; we aren't even acquaintances," she responded. "Whatever ya say, doll." Johnny responded. He didn't need her name, it was more so one of the formalities Sally had drilled into his head. He got to his feet before heading towards the bar, pouring himself a glass of Scotch. He took a sip, placing his glass back onto the bar table. "So, you came here just to question me?" She sighed as he continued with the doll mantra. Surely a "genius" like him could think of another way of addressing someone. "Maybe; considering you've been at large for the better part of three years, it's only expected that someone would inquire about your existence. Or did you think you'd remain anonymous forever?" "I was expecting someone to show up soon." Johnny replied. "I hoped I was wrong, but I rarely am after all." Another sip from his drink. "What else do you want to know? I'm a bit strapped for time, but I'll answer a question or two more." "A bit strapped for time you say. Sounds like someone is keeping themselves busy," she commented sarcastically before turning serious, "What is your objective? And why is this Rafiki so valuable to you?" Johnny ignored the first question, but was more than willing to talk about RAFIKI, his pride. "RAFIKI's a combat suit, one of the most advanced ones out there. It's my life's work, but even now I still tinker with it." he ranted for a while. "You ready to leave now?" The dismissal of her first question wasn't lost on her, though she decided not to push the issue. Instead, she listened to him detail his "life's work". She noted once again the pride in his voice as he talked about this entity, providing more details which she chronicled. When he brought up the leaving question once more, Rosie raised an eyebrow. "That much in a hurry?" Category:Role-Plays